Liver, sinusoids with Kupffer cells
This specimen comes from an animal which was injected intravenously with a suspension of carbon particles. These particles are scavenged by macrophages, most notably by those in the liver which are called Kupffer cells., whose cytoplasm becomes packed with black carbon particles.
In the absence of such experimental demonstration, Kupffer cells can be recognized by their oval nuclei closely associated with sinusoidal spaces.
Endothelial cells appear similar, but with thinner (flatter) and denser nuclei and with less conspicuous cytoplasm.
In contrast, the hepatocytes which comprise the hepatic cords have round nuclei surrounded by abundant cytoplasm.
The space of Disse is visible here and there on this image, appearing as a thin bright band between hepatocyte cytoplasm and the thinner, darker band which represents the endothelium.
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SIUC / School
of Medicine / Anatomy / David
Last updated: 25 January 2002 / dgk